If interested in a tour of research facilities, arrive at 9:15 a.m. Closed-toe, low-heel shoes are required for the tour.

For groundbreaking only, arrive at 10:30 a.m. to be escorted to the site.

The groundbreaking ceremony will conclude by 11:45 p.m.

Credentials: Contact JLab Public Affairs by noon on Monday, April 13, if you plan to attend any part of the event, or if your news agency would like to receive photos of the event. A government-issued photo I.D. is required for entry to the groundbreaking site. The ceremony will take place on a flat, grassy field inside the accelerator enclosure. Sensible, low-heeled shoes are strongly suggested.

Background: Jefferson Lab is devoted to the study of the building blocks of matter - quarks and gluons. The 12 GeV Upgrade is a $310 million project that will begin construction this spring and be completed in 2015. In addition to doubling the power of the lab’s accelerator, the project also includes the construction of a fourth experimental hall, a 250-foot extension to the lab’s underground accelerator tunnel, and new roads and utilities. The project recently received $65 million in stimulus funds to accelerate work on the project, which will create jobs in the Hampton Roads area.

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, a joint venture of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. and PAE Applied Technologies, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.